Luke and the Lady
by sabra jaguar
Summary: Luke finds himself drawn to a newcomer at the Boars Nest, but is she out of his league?
1. Chapter 1

A/n: hi, me again! Charlie says hi, too, in his typical, annoying, Charlie way. He's graciously agreed to handle all hate mail, so if you don't like it, blame him, not me. Kidding, all errors and idiocy are mine alone. (Mine, hear me, mine!) The characters, and The Dukes of Hazzard in general (pun not intended) are not. Not entirely sure where it's going, (the story hasn't told me yet) but it's kind of based off of the Conway Twitty song "Tight Fittin' Jeans" and it's a Luke story. No promises as to when I'll update; I only have a chapter written at the moment. If you've ignored me rambling on, you're probably halfway through the chapter by now. Yeehaw, y'all!

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Luke Duke drummed his fingers on the hard surface of the bar, waiting more for Daisy to get off work than he was waiting to be served anything. He'd already had what he considered his limit for the evening and figured his cousin wouldn't appreciate playing designated driver after an unusually long shift at the Boars Nest. Since Bo was running an errand for their Uncle Jesse in Jesse's pick-up truck and Cooter had Daisy's jeep over at his garage giving it a needed tune-up, it fell upon Luke's broad shoulders to serve as her chauffer for the evening. Though the boys' General Lee wasn't exactly a limousine.

_Now if y'all wanna make a comparison 'tween the General and a limo, here's your chance. One of them fancy cars done pulled up in the Boars Nest parkin' lot. Whaddaya reckon it's there for?_

Several people loitering in the parking lot stared as the stately car pulled to a stop in the unlikely location. The chauffer, very proper in uniform and cap, stepped out of the vehicle and walked around its length to open the door for his employer, and all eyes were drawn to that door, wondering what person of esteem would be gracing the establishment with his or her presence. To their surprise, and not a little disappointment, a young woman dressed like any one of the Boars Nest patrons left the security of the automobile.

The lady belonging to the impressive car wore a simple tank top tucked into a pair of tight blue jeans, with tan cowboy boots and a denim jacket completing her look. Her raven-black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, which tossed to and fro as she glanced all around, almost fearful of someone seeing or stalking her. Her clothes, despite their plain appearance, were brand-new and did not hide the fact that she was unaccustomed to their style. As uncomfortable as she seemed in clothes designed for comfort, she seemed even more uncomfortable standing in the Boars Nest parking lot with only her chauffer for protection. Eventually, though, she came to a decision and mustered up the courage to head inside.

_One thing's for sure: this lady ain't here to see Boss Hogg._

Luke glanced up as each new person walked in, idly watching the newcomers as he waited on Daisy. For the most part, every one that entered was a familiar face, except for maybe one or two who slipped into the office, to do some sort of business with Boss Hogg. And then she arrived…

A lady who had evidently never darkened the door of the Boars Nest, or any similar establishment for that matter, she could not hide the fact that she belonged in a different type of society. Her delicate porcelain coloring stood out amid the deep country tans of the other customers, especially under the harsh lighting. The uncertainty with which she gazed at her surroundings made Luke, who had taken a special interest in the dark-haired beauty, wonder what purpose she had in coming. It certainly couldn't be to sample the Boars Nest brew.

_Well, it could, but I wouldn't recommend it._

The girl played nervously with something in her hands while she looked over the crowd. Luke couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw something glinting in her hand as a small object caught the light, but just as quickly it was gone. After that she slid her hands into her pockets and seemed to reach some sort of decision, seating herself at a vacant table in an out-of-the-way corner of the room.

While Luke was watching and wondering what her story was, Daisy walked over to where her cousin sat with his arm propped up on the bar and the most far-away expression on his face. Daisy smiled knowingly as she caught a glimpse of the object of his attention.

"Luke," Daisy said, startling him slightly, "why don't ya go over an' talk to her?"

He shook his head with a rueful smile. "Nah. I get the feelin' she and I don't run in the same circles. The Boars Nest don't seem much like her usual type of place, does it?"

"Does that really matter, Luke?" A playful look entered Daisy's eyes. "How about if I go talk to her and find out what a girl like her is doin' in a place like this?" she teased her cousin.

"Now, Daisy…"

"Now it ain't no trouble at all, Cousin! It's my job to talk to folks and find out what they want," Daisy said, deliberately misinterpreting his warning tone. "Oh, don't worry, I promise I'll only say nice things about you, honey." Luke tried to make a grab for her arm to stop her, but Daisy ducked out of his grasp and headed over to the young lady in question. Luke hunched over the bar, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as he could but knew that was now impossible with Daisy's actions. So he did the one thing he could do, order another drink.

"Hey, what can I getcha?" Daisy asked the lady Luke had been observing once she'd reached the table she was sitting at.

The girl glanced up as if not expecting anyone to approach her, and smiled weakly. "Shot of courage?" she asked.

Daisy smiled to put the other woman at ease. "If ya don't mind the watered-down kind!" The Duke girl leaned over and added confidentially, "the drinks here at the Boars Nest are about thirty percent courage and seventy percent water, and that's just if Boss Hogg's feelin' generous towards the customers."

The girl laughed, Daisy's comment having the desired effect. "I guess beggars can't be choosers, huh?" she said with a smile that made the already pretty woman beautiful.

Daisy raised an eyebrow at the remark, remembering Luke's observation. This girl seemed on the other end of the spectrum from beggar, in fact. But Daisy kept these thoughts to herself, saying, "I'll get ya a Boars Nest special, then, and you don't got to worry about payin' neither. Cause unless I miss my guess, my cousin over there'd like to buy ya a drink, so I'll just put it on his tab, if it's all right with you."

The girl's eyes dropped down, finding the floorboards a fascinating study. "That's really nice of you, and him. Could you thank him for me?"

Daisy shook her head, putting a companionable arm around the lady's shoulder. "How about you thank him yourself, honey? He's the real cute fella over there with the dark hair, tryin' to pretend he ain't worried about what I'm sayin' to ya. Go on, he don't bite!"

_Now while sweet Daisy was playin' matchmaker, a couple of the rowdier customers decided they wanted to set up a meetin' of their own, with Daisy and her new friend._

"Hello, ladies." Daisy whirled around, surprised to see three rough-looking men standing over them. The one in front leered at her and the other girl, swaying with the alcohol that was pungent on his breath. Daisy backed away, nearly choking on the smell. Her new companion, not as used to the seedier type of customer as Daisy occasionally had to deal with while working, tried to do the same while Daisy tried to reason with the unreasonable. "Fellas, I don't know what ya need, but…"

Across the room, Luke had already risen from his seat and was heading in their direction when the leader of the group grabbed Daisy by the arm. Another tried to pull the other girl towards him as Daisy struggled to free herself, trying to dig her spiked heel in his leg. Within moments it grew from a few drunken men with the wrong ideas to a full-blown Boars Nest fight as Luke joined in, throwing a punch at a man with a face that could stop a truck. He didn't get a moment to recover as the man picked him up bodily and threw him against the wall. Daisy managed to yank her arm free and tried to get to the man holding the struggling, frightened young woman, but couldn't reach her through a mass of bodies. Then she lost even that as someone grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back into the fray.

_Friends and neighbors, this don't look good. I worry about Daisy, but I think that other little gal is facin' a real culture shock._

--

So, what do you think? Constructive criticism is always appreciated, but it will make me happy if you drop a line to tell me what you like about it, too. If anyone has any suggestions about where they'd like to see it go, I would be grateful and acknowledge any I use. Thanks so much!


	2. Chapter 2

A/n: Hi again! Thanks to Sparkle731, T.S. Blue, and HazzardHusker for your kind remarks and for some things to think about. I'll try to live up to your expectations. Feel free to give me a good, swift kick every now and then; they're very motivating. Still not mine, except for Celeste.

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From within the confines of his office, Boss Hogg cut his clandestine meeting short when the sound of shattering glass reached his ears.

"Rosco," he said to his ever-present sheriff, "go out there and check on what all that ruckus is about, while I wrap up the rest of my business in here."

"But, Boss—"

"Go, you peabrain!" Boss ordered, practically pushing Rosco out the door. He turned back to the two men in the room that he was conducting his "business" with, saying, "Now, where were we?"

Rosco stumbled out of the office, taking care not to allow anyone to see inside, not that it mattered. Out in the barroom, the people were too busy participating, or trying not to participate, in one of the bigger brawls the Boars Nest had played host to. And at the heart of it were two people Rosco was very anxious to apprehend.

"Alllllllllllll right, let's break it up!" When no one complied, or even indicated that they'd heard, Rosco pulled his gun, pointing it straight up. "I said, break it up!"

The report of the pearl-handled pistol in the sheriff's hand startled everyone still, some in mid-swing. Above Rosco, the ceiling bled chunks of building material onto his head, riling the sheriff further, since Boss would insist he pay for it. But he did get his point across, in no uncertain terms.

_While Rosco was givin' the Boars Nest a new skylight, Luke was pickin' himself off the floorboards. And as he was headed back over to check on Daisy and the other girl, Boss come out of his office to see who'd fired the first shot in this war._

"Rosco!" he shouted angrily. "Look what you done to my ceiling! This is gonna come outta your cut of the—I mean, outta your regular pay!"

"It ain't my fault!" Rosco sputtered in protest. "It's uh, gotta be Luke Duke's fault! He was there right in the thick of it, an' I wouldn't be surprised if he started the whole dang thing!" Behind him Daisy's face expressed the shock and anger she felt over Rosco's accusation.

"Well then, don't just stand there!" Boss said over Daisy's growing outrage. "Arrest him!"

"Boss, no!" Daisy cried, placing a hand on the shoulder of her aching cousin. "Luke was just tryin' to teach these fellas the right way to treat a lady!"

"That's right," came a timid voice behind her, surprising all those involved. Peeking behind Daisy Duke's shoulder was the anxious face of a young woman that looked vaguely familiar to Boss Hogg.

"And who might you be?" Boss demanded, rounding the shapely human shield that separated the two until he stood face to face with the girl.

"Celeste. Celeste…Hadley," she said reluctantly, hoping no connections would be made.

"Hadley…Hadley…" Boss scrutinized the face of the woman in front of him, trying to place name and face with information he already possessed in his memory. "Say, are you related to that Hadley that owns all them businesses out of Atlanta?"

"I'm—his daughter," she whispered in defeat.

"Oh, my oh my!" Boss's tone immediately changed, becoming more syrupy than a sugar maple in springtime. "And Luke Duke came to this dear young lady's rescue! Well, now! Oh, Rosco," he turned to his confused sheriff, "you can let our young friend Luke go free."

"Well then, who'm I gonna arrest?" Rosco demanded hotly. "I gotta arrest somebody, don't I?"

"How about them three fellas that started this whole mess?" Luke offered with a nod toward the men who had attacked Daisy and Celeste initially, two of whom were still nursing bruises from Daisy's spiked heels and waitressing tray.

For once willing to accommodate a Duke, Boss Hogg said, "You heard the boy, arrest them!"

"Well, yeah I heard Luke," Rosco conceded, "but I ain't sure I heard you right, Boss. Why are ya sidin' with the Dukes? You feelin' okay?"

"Oh, of course I'm feelin' okay! Just do your duty, knucklehead!" Boss turned back to Celeste, honey again creeping into his voice. "Pay no mind to my nitwit sheriff, honeychild. That plaster musta hit his head too hard. Now," she shrank back as he placed an arm around her shoulder and he continued, "maybe we can discuss a reward for Luke Duke comin' to your rescue? I know personally that Luke is too modest to accept one on his own behalf, but I'd be more than happy to accept it for him, maybe for one of my charitable enterprises…?"

_Y'all ever notice how Boss Hogg can steal your money an' make it sound like he's doin' you a favor?_

As Boss Hogg did his very best to convince Miss Hadley to direct some of her daddy's money into his own fat pockets, he failed to notice how agitated the girl was growing. Like a cornered animal, she kept backing away until she couldn't take it anymore.

"Don't do this to me…don't do this to me!" she suddenly shrieked, startling everyone in the Boars Nest, including herself, with her intensity. As Boss Hogg recovered and tried to reach for her hand to comfort her, she pulled away from him and fled from the room in tears.

_Ain't it nice to see ol' Boss still has a way with the ladies?_

As Boss stared after her, wondering what had gotten into the girl, Daisy advanced on him angrily.

"Boss! How could you!" she cried, hands firmly planted on her hips. "You saw how upset she was!"

"I don't know what you're talkin' about," Boss said defensively. "I just made a little business proposal. All she had to do was refuse."

"It ain't like you're in the habit of taking 'no' for an answer," Luke observed. His temper was more controlled than his cousin's, but he was just as angry as Daisy at Boss Hogg's disregard for Celeste's feelings and just as worried over the girl after her outburst. Daisy made a move to head out after her but Luke stopped her in mid-stride. "Now Daisy, you still got the rest of your shift to get through. I'll go find her and see if she's calmed down some."

Daisy nodded. "Okay. Good luck, cousin."

_Sure hope Luke's better at talkin' to the lady than Boss was, or she's just liable to disappear without leavin' a glass shoe behind._


End file.
